hereistheend's review against another edition
3.0
Eh, I reeeeeally thought this would be better. Instead, it seemed a little haphazard and had these weird unnecessary lines (who tells an 11 year old to watch their weight? Did that police man really threaten to shoot someone in the heart? Why does Lorenzo assume such things about Hana? Idk. Just weird.)
compass_rose's review against another edition
3.0
Kid and Dad read together. They thought it was too depressing.
cogsofencouragement's review against another edition
3.0
The kids and I read this YA together. I needed tissues.
textpublishing's review against another edition
5.0
‘Saving Marty is a gentle read about coping with horrendous news, surviving against the odds, and love in all its forms. It’s a keeper.’
Kids Book Review
‘Warm, sweet, funny and heart-warming…A unique story; fresh and contemporary, it will bring a lump to your throat but you’ll finish it with a smile.’
Magpies
Kids Book Review
‘Warm, sweet, funny and heart-warming…A unique story; fresh and contemporary, it will bring a lump to your throat but you’ll finish it with a smile.’
Magpies
ndgrad95oh's review
5.0
Heartwarming and hilarious but deals with heavy stuff!
Read this with my 10 yo. We loved the characters and the humor! It does get a bit ‘dark’ in places so be prepared to discuss with middle grade readers.
Read this with my 10 yo. We loved the characters and the humor! It does get a bit ‘dark’ in places so be prepared to discuss with middle grade readers.
purpleskyrising's review against another edition
5.0
I received an advanced copy of this book to enjoy and review. Saving Marty by Paul Griffin is an adorable and witty book about a boy who saves a runt pig and a runt pig who brings together a family trough his hijinks. Renzo is a pre-teen growing up in Pennsylvania on a farm. His best friend Paloma and him bonded as children who have lost a parent. They spend their days on the farm making music and dreaming of making it big in hollywood. As a child, I lost a parent quite similarly to the way Renzo lost his father. This book though for pre-teens struck home for me. When Renzo finds Marty (the pig) in with the litter of puppies his dog just had, he almost instantly has a connection with him. Marty who grows up thinking he is a dog is comical and sweet. He comes into Renzo's life when he needs him most. Their friendship is sweet and I was constantly shocked by how draw-in I was to reading. Saving Marty had me laughing and crying, sometimes both at once. I loved this coming of age tale and can not wait for my son to be old enough to read it.All the characters in Saving Marty are all well-built, I especially love Double, though the areas to which they are in are lacking in detail. I was able though to be able to build it up with my imagination, and that is never a bad thing for kids to work on.
Reading it with your pre-teen might also help open up the floor for various degrees of topics to talk about. Spoilers ahead!!!!!
Topics will include losing homes, war, PTSD, suicide, friends moving away, losing a pet, and handling bullies.
Saving Marty is intended for ages 10-14 but is a good tale for anyone.
Saving Marty is set to be released 9/19/17
Reading it with your pre-teen might also help open up the floor for various degrees of topics to talk about. Spoilers ahead!!!!!
Topics will include losing homes, war, PTSD, suicide, friends moving away, losing a pet, and handling bullies.
Saving Marty is intended for ages 10-14 but is a good tale for anyone.
Saving Marty is set to be released 9/19/17
toryhallelujah's review against another edition
3.0
The tone of this book kind of caught me off-guard. It's a little...self-referential? Ish? Or...like, it jumps right into what's going on without a lot of setup or explanation, and that felt weird to me. It kept that same tone the whole way through, which was kind of cool because it was like we were part of Renzo's thoughts and he didn't need to explain anything to himself, but then also -- like when your friend says "oh, YOU know," and you're happy to be included but actually you don't know, so you're still in the dark but don't want to ask what they meant and then lose that sense of trust/inclusion? If that makes sense at all!
Anyway. It was a cute-enough story.
Anyway. It was a cute-enough story.
ana_lopez45's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
inspiring
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
TW for anyone who reads this there is mentioning of suicide.
Content Warnings
Minor: Suicide
kristinajean's review against another edition
3.0
An excellent audio book with beautiful musical performances.
The story was...okay. The characters are likeable enough and realistic enough, but I was just not fully engaged in their plights.
The story was...okay. The characters are likeable enough and realistic enough, but I was just not fully engaged in their plights.
booknrrd's review against another edition
3.0
A 2019-2020 Missouri Mark Twain Readers Award preliminary nominee (grades 4-6).
When Lorenzo's mom takes the pigs to slaughter she misses a piglet. Lorenzo bonds with the pig and doesn't want to give it up, but the family can't really afford it, plus once it is fully grown it will be too large to keep as a pet.
This was sweet, I guess, and sad. I just really am not a fan of Griffin's work. I liked Lorenzo's relationship with the pig. Everything else not so much. 2.5 stars.
When Lorenzo's mom takes the pigs to slaughter she misses a piglet. Lorenzo bonds with the pig and doesn't want to give it up, but the family can't really afford it, plus once it is fully grown it will be too large to keep as a pet.
This was sweet, I guess, and sad. I just really am not a fan of Griffin's work. I liked Lorenzo's relationship with the pig. Everything else not so much. 2.5 stars.